' i 



STARS. 



which was, likewife, the occafion of Tycho's making a 

 new catalogue. Its magnitude and brightnefs, at firil, 

 exceeded that of the biggeft of our liars, Sirius and Lyra ; 

 it even equalled that of Venus when neareft the earth, and 

 was feen in fair day-light. It continued fixteen months ; 

 towards the latter end of which, it began to dwindle, and at 

 laft, viz. March, 1573. totally difappeared, without any 

 change of place in all that tmie. 



Leovicius tells us of another ftar appearing in the fame con- 

 ilellation about the year 945, which refembled that of 1572, 

 and quotes another ancient obfervation, by which it appears, 

 that a new ftar was feen about the fame place m 1264. 



Dr. Keil takes thofe to have been all the fame itar : and 

 he conjectures its period to be 150 years ; but though it did 

 not appear at the end of this period, this might be owing to 

 its having different degrees of lultre at different periods. 

 Right afc. in 1786, o" 13' o". Declin. N. 62= 58'. 

 Greatelt and leaft magn. i — o. 



Fabricius, in 1596, difcovered another new ftar, called 

 thejlel/a mira, or wonderful ilar, in the neck of the Whale, 

 which has been fince found to appear and difappear periodi- 

 cally, feven times in fix years, continuing in the greateft 

 lullre for fifteen days together ; and is never quite extin- 

 guiftied. Its courfe and motion are defcribed by BuUialdus, 

 in a treatife printed at Paris in 1667. R. afc. in 1786, 

 2*' 8' 33". Decl. S. 3° 37' 25". Greateft and leaft magn. 

 2 — o. Period, determined by Caflini, 334 days : feen 

 by Mr. Goodricke of the 2d magnitude, Auguit 9th, 

 1782, and by Mr. Pigoct of the 8.9 magn. Dec. 30, 1782. 



Dr. Herfchel has lately, -viz. in the years 1777, 1778, 

 1779, 1780, made feveral obfervations on this ftar, an ac- 

 count of which may be feen in the Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixx. 

 part ii. art. 21. He makes its period 331* 10'' 19'. 



The variations of Algol, or ,3 Perfeus, were firft obferved 

 by Montanari. In 1693, Maraldi could not perceive any 

 change in its brightnefs ; but in 1694 he faw its variation 

 from the fecond to the fourth magnitude. Its period was 

 firll difcovered by Mr. Goodricke to be 2* 20'' 48' 56". 

 He found that its brightnefs, at its minimum, is diflerent in 

 different periods ; and Pigott perceived, that, at its maximum 

 of brightnefs, it is fometimes more luminous than a. Perfei, 

 and at other times lefs brilliant. R. afc. 1786, 2'' 54' 19". 

 Decl. N. 40' 6' 55". Greateft and leaft magn. 2 — 4. 



The 420th ftar in Mayer's Catalogue, fituated in the 

 Lion, was found to be variable by M. Koch, being in 

 February, 1782, of the feventh magnitude ; in April, 1783, 

 of the ninth; and in April, 1784, of the tenth. Mr. 

 Pigott could not fee it, and it mull therefore have difap- 

 peared. R. afc. 17S6, g^ 36' 5". Decl. N. 12^ 25' o". 

 Greateft and leaft magn. 6 — O. 



Star in Hydra, as far call of t as s^ is weft of y, the 

 30th Hydra of Hevelius, and probably the ift of the Ba- 

 lance, according to Flamftead, was difcovered to be variable, 

 in 1784, by Maraldi; and he made its period two years. 

 According to Pigott, it is of the fourth magnitude at its 

 full brightnefs, and for a fortnight fuffers no perceptible 

 change. It takes about fix months to increafe from the 

 tenth to the fourth magnitude, and about the fame time 

 to return to the tenth ; fo that it may be regarded as invi- 

 fible to the naked eye during fix months. R. afc. 1786, 

 1^^ 18' 4". Decl. S. 22° 9'. 38". Greateft and leaft 

 magn. 4 — o. Period 494 days. 



In the year 1604, 17th Odober, Kepler, and feveral of 

 his friend?, faw a new ilar near the heel of the right foot of 

 Serpentarius, particularly bright and fparkling ; and took 

 notice, that it was every moment changing into feme of the 

 colours of the rainbow, except when it was near the ho- 

 rizon, at which time it was generally white. It furpaffed 



5 



Jupiter in magnitude, but was eafily diftinguilhed from it 

 by the fteady light of that planet. It began to diminifti, 

 and ceafed to be vifible, Oftober i8th, 1605, ^"d ''^s not 

 been feen fince that time ; though Mr. Pigott has ex- 

 amined that part of the heavens with great care fince the 

 year 1782. R. afc. i7'> 18' o". Decl. S. 21° 10' 30". 

 Greateft and leaft magn. i — o. 



Simon Marius difcovered another in Andromeda's girdle, 

 in 161 2 and 1613 ; though Builialdus fays, it had been feen 

 before in the 15th century. 



The variations and period of S Lyrse were difcovered by 

 Mr. Goodricke. R. afc. 18'' 42' 1 1''. Decl. N. 33- 7' 46". 

 Greateft and leaft magn. 3 — 4.5. Period, not accurately 

 afcertained, 6"* 9''. 



The new ftar difcovered by Don Anthelme in the Swan's 

 head, on the 20th of June, 1670, foon reached the third 

 magnitude, and, after feveral variations, difappeared in 

 1672. It was obferved of the fixth magnitude, by Hevelius, 

 in the years 1671, 1672 ; but fince that time has not been 

 feen, though Mr. Pigott muft have detected it, if it had 

 been of the tenth or eleventh magnitude. R. afc. 19'' 38' 58". 

 Decl. N. 26^ 48' 30". Greateft and leaft magn. 3 — o. 



The ftar r, Antinoi was difcovered to be variable by Mr. 

 Pigott, who alfo determined its period. It continues 40'' 

 at its greateft brightnefs, 30'' at its leaft, 66'' on its decreafe, 

 and 36'' on its increafe. R. afc. 19'' 41' 34". Decl. N. 

 0° 28' 14". Greateft and leaft magn. 3.4 — 5. Period 

 7'i 4I' 15'. 



The ftar x '" the Swan's neck was difcovered to be 

 variable by Kirch, in 1686. Maraldi, CafTini, and M. 

 le Gentil, make its period 405 days ; whence Pigott con- 

 cludes that its period is variable, who ftates that it con- 

 tinues a fortnight at its full brightnefs. It takes about 

 3^ months to increafe from the eleventh magnitude to its 

 maximum brightnefs, and to decreafe to the eleventh again ; 

 fo that it may be regarded as invifible for fix months. At 

 its gre.itell luftre, it is fometimes of the fifth, and, at other 

 times, of the feventh magnitude. R. afc. 19'' 42' 21". 

 Decl. N. 32° 22' 58". Greateft and leaft magn. 5 — 0. 

 Period 396'' 21''. 



The changeable ftar near ■>• in the Swan's breaft was ob- 

 ferved by William Janlenius and Kepler in 1600: it be- 

 came, 111 time, lo fmall as to be thought to have entirely 

 dilappearcd, until the years 1657, 1658, and 1659, whea 

 it recovered its former lullre and magnitude; but it foon 

 decayed. Pigott concludes, from the obfervations of the 

 17th century, that it continues about five years at its full 

 brightnefs ; that its luftre decreafes rapidly during, two 

 years ; that it is invifible to the naked eye during four years ; 

 and that it increafes flowly during feven years. At the end 

 of the year 1663, it was at its minimum brightnefs. From 

 November, 1 781, to 1786, Pigott always faw it of the 

 fixth magnitude ; though he fufpefts, that in 17S5, 1786, 

 it had rather decreafed. R. afc. 20*' 9' 54". Decl. N. 

 37° 22' 37". Greateft and leaft magn. 3 — o. Period 

 18 years. 



The variation and period of J Cephei were difcovered by 

 Mr. Goodricke, and the period has been confirmed by Mr. 

 Pigott's obfervations. Its variations are not eafily per- 

 ceptible, unlefs at its minimum and maximum brightnefs. 

 R. afc. 22'' 21' o". Decl. N. 57° 20' o". Greateft and 

 leaft magn. 4.3 — 4.5. Period j"* S*" 37^'. 



The variation and period of the ftar 64 or a Hercules 

 were difcovered by Dr. Herfchel, by comparing it with 

 X Ophiuchi. R. afc. 17" 4' 54". Decl. N. 14° 38'. Pe- 

 riod of variation 60:5 days. 



The period and variations of a ftar in Sobicfiii's fliield, 

 having nearly the fame right afcenfion as the ftar /, and 



fituated 



